The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-11-25
PROFESSOR CHARLES.

carried on with some difficulty and irregu-
larity during the day, and a glimpse into
the double room "44'' would have shown
the astonished principal that the girls
were making night of it as only board
ing school giIls know how to do. Water
proof cloaks darkened the windows, a line
of jaunty wraps of various styles hung up
and down the cracks in the doorway, and
dark shawl spread and tackled carefully
over the transom prevented any ray of
| light penetrating the dark hall after the
bell should have rung, with all the young
ladies supposed to be in bed. It was half
past nine, and, in anticipation of the pro-
voking and quite inexcusable custom of
the institution which shut off the gas from
the halls promptly at ten, numerous can
dies, mostly reduced to stubs and placed
in the noses of backing bottles and small
vases, burned before the mirrors of the
dressing cases aud on the little book shelves
and window-sills Eleven girls, in various
conditions of toilet, arranged entirely to
suit the taste of the wearers, sat about the
room, and while preparations for feast
were evidently complete they waited
''Well,' said Jennie Bemis, who sat on
the floor with her plump little hands clasp
ed about her knees, shaking her closely
cropped curly head impatiently, ''this is
little too much. Now that we have every
thing ready for lovely time, Ben must 60
and-ah. absent herself"
This remark, finishing with perfect i'm
itation of the most precise of their teach
eis, raised general giggle, which was
speedily suppressed by whispered Ssh.
Do you want 'Prisms' herself to knock at
the door,"
at is cruel sin for Ben to stay away
like this, said pretty Kitty Glazier, who
sighed, and then proceeded to fish small
piece of candied ginger out of the jar with
hairpin. This sweet morsel she was
munching pensively, unnoticed by the girls
who lounged around, until Fan Kendall
a saucy, red-haired nymph, who lay upon
the bed, her arms folded under her bright
head-suddenly cried out in remonstrance:
Exit, think you might wait for the rest
of us, 1t is bad enough to see all these
things spelling for want of eating, without
you picking around"
Fan pouted, and as she arose to a sitting
posture continued: "Now, what's to be
done. We have waited Tor Ben one hour.
IF she chooses to keep away, I move that
we go on without her y
1--WE might wait fifteen minutes long
er, said Florence Healey, tall, dark
haired girl, who sat in the rockingham.
in a white wrapper, and supported the
dignity becoming the president of the Sc
cret society of 'The Mystic Twelve, ;"
which, lacking a member, were there as
sembled. eve cannot very well open the
door, or Sue might go and look for her. y
She looked inquiringly at the others.
mo, no! Prsms' would be sure to catch
CLEAN of light, said Jennie; 'and-I
am surprised. At this hour, young la
diesr again giving an inm liable repre-
sentation of the manner of Miss Perrin,
irreverently dubbed 'Prisms" by the girls.
Just then muflied knock, repeated three
times, was heard at the door. There was
general stir. "Ah! there is Ben at last"
"What can have kept you away until
this time?" they cried. eve have been
waiting a full hour!'
A petite figure, with curling brown
hair which was disheveled and part awry;
pair of brown eyes, which were large
with mixed emotions and WEAKNESS; and
bright flush on the fair cheeks-this was
Ben as she slipped into the room and threw
herself down on the bed with a despairing
gesture.
'Don't speak to me! Don't say word!"
she cried. 81 am almost dead. thought
| should have tainted away Oh, how my
back achesw But she soon arose, and
tossing back her thick bang with quick
hand, looked about the group of impatient
girls with face full of mysterious import,
and asked, with a touch of her forefnger
OH the knee of the nearest: ''Where do
you suppose have been for the last mortal
hour ?''
SIN F. WIS study, getting a lecture fo1
laughing at prayers.
Gin the mushroom, receiving a propo-
sal of marriage from Professor Charles"
The last sally provoked loud litter, for
Ben had taken it upon herself to be senti-
mental over the handsome professor, in
spite of his announced engagement to
young teacher, and had raved about him to
her eleven confidential friends in manner
which was the more affecting from the
hopelessness of her assumed passion.
But Florence Healey blushed almost an
grily, and said:
''Nonsense! Come, Ben, let us know
what has detained you so long"
81 will, )" was the answer; "but previous
ly let's have something to eat. | am near
ly famished. I will take two sardines on
this piece of brown bread" She held out
her mug for coffee, which was cold so that its
aroma might not penetrate the nostrils of
the watchful teacher known as ''Prsms,
and soon all were fairly at work upon the
edibles. When Ben had finished her first
course, and was reaching for liberal
piece of raisin cake, she said, solemnly:
''Girls, have the most astonishing and
wildly interesting thing to tell you that
-. $50. I,oa,J oo,,1d l.a ctrannor